Tumbling machine



` April 29, 1941.

K. G. SODERBERG TUMBLING MACHINE Filed March 23, 1940 2 Sheets-A-Sheet lmur/Z BY v K. G. soDERan-:RG

\ TUMBLING ncl-HNE mea umn 25, 1940 April 29, 1941./

2 sheets-snaai 2 Patented Apr. 29, 1941 TUMBLING MACHINE Karl GustafSoderberg, Detroit, Mich., assgnor to The Udyllte Corporation, Detroit,Michl. a corporation of Delaware Application Maren 23, 1940, serial No.325,619

. 3.0iams.

This invention relates to a tumbling machine and more particularly to amachine for tumbling,

work in bulk in a. solution for'cleaning, rinsing, pickling,phosphatizing, chromatizing, or otherwise chemically treating the work.

It is the object of this invention to produce -a machine in which workin bulk, particularly small articles or parts. can be easily andeconomically handled and with a minimum dragout of .the solution.

'I'his invention also contemplates a machine in whicharticles in bulkare subjected to immersion treatment with strong agitation of theliquid. Because of this strong agitation any treatment of the work isvery effective and the time required to effectively treat the lwork ismuch less than in other machines heretofore used.

Another object of the invention is rto produce a machine which requiressmall 4space per unit volume of production.

These objects are achieved by a machine which in general comprises arotating cradle and a removable basket in which the work is tumbled inthe solution. The work is retained in the basket for treatment in othersolutions before and/or after the tumbling.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the machine along theline l-l of Fig. 2, showing one ofthe baskets being' removed from thcradle. l

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view along the' line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along rthe line 4 8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a. section along the line 5--5 of Fig, 4.

Figs. 6 and 7 showdetails of the means for locking the cover on thebasket and locking the basket in the cradle. e

circular or polygonal in contour. -bottom frame members are connected bya pluiron. The ring members preferably have a peripheral contoursuch ascircular or polygonal, corresponding to the peripheral contour of thebasket 1 The lower ring lll is welded or otherwise fixed to-the bottomframe member 9 and the upper ring member Il is welded at one end to theupright frame member 8 and at the other end to a plate.l2 welded orotherwise xed upon an iron pipe support member I3, the lower end ofwhich is welded or otherwise secured to the frame member 9 at itsmid-section.

The basket 1 consists of -top and bottom frame members I4 and I5,respectively, which are either The top and rality of upright rods Iwelded or otherwise secured to the members i4 and i5. Frame member I5serves primarily as a. handle for dumping the basket when removed fromthe cradle. Mounted within the rods IB and spaced above the bottom framemember I5 isanother circular ring member I1. The wall I8 of the basket lis foraminated and can consist of any suitable material such as a wiremesh of Monel or other metal or metallic alloy. The wire mesh i8 extendsacross the ring Il so that it serves not only as the bottom but also asthe side walls of the basket l. The wire mesh i8 can be welded orotherwise secured to the framework it. It, ll of the basket.

Referring more particularly'to the drawings, the machine comprises atank i for the solution A l and a cradle 2 mounted upon longitudinalaligned shafts 3 and 4 which are iournalled in bearing supports 5 ilxedto the end walls of the tank. The cradle 2 herein shown is a doublecradle for carrying two baskets 1. It is, of course, understood that thecradle will work equally as well The basket is provided with a bail lapivotally secured to diametrically opposed rods it.

The basket is provided with a cover consisting of a ring member 253bridged by cross members 2l and 23 and covered with wire mesh 22 of thesame type as the side and bottom walls oi the basket. A handle 2t ismounted on cross member 23. The ends oi cross member 23 extend beyondthe periphery of ring 2i) and are bifurcated as at 25, Fig. 2, toreceive at each end a bolt member 2B provided with a wing nut 2l forlocking the cover on to the basket and for locking the basket in thecradle. Each bolt 2B is supported on pin 28 carried by the bracket 29welded on the upper'ring member il. The lower end '80 of the bolt 26 ismade with a rectangular cross section which serves as a stop to limitthe pivoting of the bolt 26 through a small arc. The lower corners 8| ofthe bolt abut the bottom of the bracket 29 as the bolt is swung to theright or to the left to positively limit the pivoting of the bolt andthus preventing the same from swinging downwardly intov the solution orinto a position where lt will interfere with the placing of thelfiaskets'into the cradle or their removal thererom.

The cradle is rotated about shafts3 and 4 by a drive consisting of anelectric motor 30, driving pulley 3| xed on shaft 32 Journalied inbearing 33 mounted in the end wall of the tank, and' a. gear 34 fixed onthe other end of shaft 32 which meshes with large gear 35 fixed on shaft4. An idling pulley 36 is mounted on the end of shaft 32. A V pulley 31is connected to the motor pulley 38 by a V belt 39. The V pulley 31 isixed4 on shaft 40. Pulley 4| is also fixed on shaft 40 rotatablysupported in bearings 42. A driving belt. 43 optionally connects pulley3| or 3S with pulley 4|. When the bolt is shifted on to idler pulley 36,the cradle quite frequently` fails to stop withthe top of the basketsuppermost. Upon such occasions the driving pulley 3| is useful forturning the cradle to the proper position with the top of the -basketsuppermost for removal of the baskets. A shifting lever v44, pivotedl asat 45, `can be swung to the left, Fig. 1, to shift the belt 43 on topulley 3| and thus through the train of gears outlined above, rotate thecradle 2 and baskets 1 which tumbles the work in the solution.

Where the machine is used for alkaline cleaning of metal parts in a hotsolution of an alkaline cleaner, the tank, cradle and baskets can bemade from steel. If the work is to be tumbled in an acid picklingsolution, then the basket,

cradle, tank, and other parts which come in contact with the'acidsolution will be either rubber coated or made from an acid resistingmaterial. The material from which the machine is made depends on theimmersion process for whichl it is used. Other 'suitable materials willbe used when the machine is used for other processes.

In operation the baskets 1 are locked in the cradle by the lockingmechanism 26. 21 and the baskets thus rotated about a horizontal axis onshafts 3 and 4. The baskets are covered during the tumbling and the samemeans that are used for fastening thecover on the basket also lock thebasket in the cradle. The cover 20 is provided with a plurality of Vmembers 50 positioned in spaced relation about vevery forty-uve degreesabout the periphery of the cover. These V members 50 reinforce the topI4 of the basket and retains its shape during the tumbling. The

as the U shaped frame is rotated.

V members 50 guide the cover into proper closing position as onetightens down on the nuts 21. When the work has been thoroughly tumbledin the solution, the. lock members 26, 21 are released and the basket 1easily lifted out of the cradle by bail I9.`

I claim:

1. A machinefor tumbling articles in the presence of a liquid comprisingin combination a tank adapted to hold a liquid chemical, a U shapedframe rotatably mounted .within said tank for rotation about alsubstantially horizontal axis, a plurality of ring members mounted inspaced relation one above the other on said U shaped frame, aforaminated basket adapted to be received within said ring members, aremovable cover for said basket, and a swingable fastening means forsecuring the cover on the basket and for seeming the basket within thering members whereby the work within the basket is tumbled 2. A machinefor tumbling articles in the presence of a liquid. comprising incombination a tank, a U shaped frame rotatably mounted within said tankand adapted to constitute a cradle, a foraminated basket comprising topand bottom frame members,a plurality of upright rods connecting saidframe members, a cover, a ibase and foraminated walls, rings fitted insaid U shaped frame constituting a container for said basket, andfastening means to hold said basket in place and power means to rotatesaid cradle and basket in said tank.

3. A machine for tumbling articles in the presence of a liquidcomprising in combination a tank for holding a liquid chemical, a cradlecomprlsing a U frame anda plurality of rings mounted in spaced relationone above the other on the U frame and cooperating with said frame tosupport the below-mentioned basket, a pair of shafts rotatablysupporting the AU frame at each end, a perforate basket for receivingthe work adapted to removably fit in said rings, a removable cover forsaid basket. and pivoted locking means for locking the basket in thecradle whereby upon rotation of the cradle the work is tumbled in saidbasket.

KARL GUSTAF SODERBERG.

